Vacuum pump



April 19, 193. A. E. LANDYERHOLM VACUUM PUMP Filed Sept. 11. 1936 3Sheets-Sheet 1 IBYj. !NVE.NTOR WM -W April 19, 1938. A. E. LANDERHOLMVACUUM PUMP Filed Sept. 11, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2,

l I I I III! a: n 1| mm mm INVENTOR BY 0Z0? T10R36 April 19, 1935. A. E.LANDERHOLM VACUUM PUMP Filed Sept.

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q MN A W 4 'IIIII II/ll/IIIIII/IIIIII/i Patented Apr.19, 1938 UNITED STATES ATENT oFFicE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to pumps and has particular reference to a newand useful improvement in pumps for evacuating receptacles, and isespecially intended to evacuate air and gases from containers.

A main object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient, highspeed pump adapted to remove gases from receptacles containing the same.

A further object is to provide a simple and eflicient form of impellerwhich, when driven at high speed, will remove the gas from the containerwith speed and efficiency.

A still further object is to provide a simple and eflicient devicewhereby the high-speed parts 5 are kept in quiet working conditionthrough efficient lubrication. V

Further and more specific objects, features, and

advantages will more clearly appear from a consideration of thespecification hereinafter when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which form part of the specification and which illustrate apresent preferred form of the invention.

In considering the invention broadly and briefly, it is to be noted thata hollow high speed shaft is connected at one end to the receptacle tobe evacuated and at the other end dips into a container below the levelof fluid therein especially when the fluid is a liquid. The shaft isrotated at 30 high speed and on its lower end beneath the surface of thefluid there is disposed a high speed propeller or chamber preferablycircular in form connected to the lower end of the passage in the hollowshaft and having around its periphery a toroidalshaped element whichassists materially in the propulsion of the fluid with respect to theimpeller in such a. manner that the gas in the system is mosteffectively drawn out. Preferably in one form the toroidal element is inthe form of a helical spring wrapped around the periphery of therotating suction chamber at the bottom of the shaft. The elements of thetoroidal element are disposed each to extend outwardly from the pe- 45riphery of the chamber in a somewhat radial direction and in one formmay be also of ringlike formation and act as wings spaced apart whichdivide up the stream of fluid into a plurality. of separate streams ofmixed gas and fluid to more rap-idly discharge them through thecentrifugal action of the rapidly rotating impeller unit.

The invention also concerns a simple construction whereby the high-speedparts such as gears and bearings are continuously and effectivelyimpeller comprising a rotating lubricated and whereby the lubricatingfluid is kept in constant and eflicient circulation for use over anextended period of time.

The present preferred form of the invention is illustrated in thedrawings of which Fig. l is a plan view of the apparatus, partly brokenaway;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly broken Fig. 3 is a verticalsection'taken on the line 5-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan detail of the fluid propelling means; and,

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3, with aportion broken away.

- As shown in the drawings, the present preferred form of the inventionincludes an electric motor l fastened to a base plate II, which isattached to a curved clamp element l2, enabling the plate I to beadjustably fastened to a support such as a table III by means of theadjustment of the set screw M. A portion of the plate ll extends beyondthe end of the support I3, and on its underside has a series ofadjustable elements such as screws l which can be adjusted to clamp aflange I6 against the lower face of the plate II. This flange I6 is onthe upper face of a receptacle I! in the form of a glass or othercontainer shown as square in shape altho that may be varied as desired.This container holds a fluid such as Water disposed therein up to apredetermined level. Above the fluid level is disposed a screen l9resting upon a flange or shoulder formed in the inner wall of thecontainer H in any desired manner.

On the upper side of the extension of the plate ii there is disposed acasing 21 having a flange 22 at the bottom which is fastened to thesupport or plate II by means of screws 23. Within this casing or shell21 there is disposed a vertical shaft 24 having a continuous bore 25therein from one end to the other. This shaft 24 is journalled at twopoints in ball bearing units 26 and 2'! disposed at spaced points withinthe casing 2|. The lower bearing unit 26 bears against a shoulder 28 onthe shaft 24. The upper bearing unit 27 rests on an inturned shoulder 29at the lower end of sleeve 30 dependent within the upper end of thecasing 2|. This sleeve 30 has a shoulder 3i resting on the top edge ofthe casing 2|. A flange 32 on the top of the sleeve 30 forms a supportfor a cap plate 33 which may be fastened in position by means of bolts34 with a gasket 35 between it and the flange 32. A nipple 36 provides apassage into the top of the casing 2| and may be connected by a flexiblepipe 31 to any desired receptacle (not shown) which is to be evacuated.

Keyed to the shaft 24 just below the ball-bearing unit 2? is a bevelgear 38, meshing with a bevel gear 39 keyed to a shaft 49, journalled ina bearing sleeve 41 mounted on a plate 42 fastened by means of screws 43to the side of the casing 2|. Extending laterally from the bottom of thecasing 2i is a tubular member 44 having an oil passage 45 connected atone end to the interior of the casing H at the bottom thereof. The outerend of this oil tube 44 is closed by a cap 46 which cooperates withscrew threads 4'! on the end of the tube 44. A lateral passage 48through the tube 44 and an auxiliary tube 49 connects to a pipe 50, theupper end of which connects to a bore leading to a sloping groove 52 inthe sleeve 4! adjacent the flaring surface 53 of the bevel gear 39.

The bottom of the casing 2| is closed by a screw threaded plug disk 54having a snug flt with the shaft 24 through the integral sleeve 55.Above the sleeve 55 there is tightly fitted on the shaft 24 a metal cap56 which slopes outwardly and downwardly to prevent oil which runs downto the bottom of the casing 2| from escaping along the shaft 24.

Above the ball-bearing unit 2'! there is disposed a plug 51 having adependent sleeve 53 embraced by the inner member of the bearing unit.This plug engages threads 59 on a nut having a dependent sleeve 60 alsoembraced by the unit 27. The upper end of the nut has a cap flange 69below which are disposed washers 6| and 62 and a valve gasket 63 ofmaterial such as leather or similar material having an outer end flareddownwardly and bearing resiliently against the inner wall of the upperend of the casing 2| to prevent any air from getting from below thevalve or gasket 63 to a point above within the casing 2|.

The lower end of the shaft 24 is outwardly and downwardly flared as at65 and to it is connected a circular plate or disk 66. Spaced from andbelow the plate 66 is another plate 61. The two plates 66 and 61 areconnected by means of rivets through the intermediary of curved winglikeelements such as bafiles 68 acting as spacers and also, by reason oftheir curvature, acting as impellers to throw out any fluid which isdisposed between the two plates in the operation of the pump. The bore25 in the shaft 24 opens into the space between these two plates 66 and6?. Around the periphery of the two spaced plates 66 and 61 is disposeda close-coiled helical spring member 69. The disposition of this springmember 69 is such that its elements form a series of outwardly extendingwings extending outwardly from the periphery of the plates 66 and 6! ina somewhat radial direction for the purpose of splitting up the flow offluid outwardly from between the plates 66 and 67 and from the top andbottom of the unit formed by these two plates 66 and 61'.

In the operation of the pump the shaft 40 is driven by and connected tothe motor It]. This action rotates the gear 39 and the gear 38, turningthe shaft 24, and with it the propeller unit at the bottom of the shaft24 comprising the plates 66 and 61' and the spring member 69. Therotation of the gear 39 due to the tapered or flared shank 53 will causea centrifugal action on the oil thereon tending to throw the oilupwardly and downwardly from the gear to lubricate the gear 38, theball-bearing unit 21 and the ball-bearing unit 26. This action will alsosuck in oil through the pipe 50 from the oil passage 45 into which theoil passes from the oil chamber at the bottom of the casing 2| The capeor apron 56 will allow the oil to pass to the bottom of the casing 2|but will prevent it from escaping along the shaft 24. This apron 55 willrotate with the shaft 24. The casing 2| is provided with an oil vent 56'near the bottom thereof and the outer end of this vent is on a leveljust below the top of the sleeve 55 so that oil will flow through thevent before it will rise above the top of said sleeve. This vent willalso provide means for adding more oil to the system when needed.

At the bottom of the shaft 24 the propelling unit comprising the plates66 and 61 and the spring 69 will rotate at high speed and thecentrifugal action thereby set up will violently throw outward the waterof fluid in the receptacle IT. This outward movement of the liquid inthe vessel will act as a source of suction on the lower end of thepassage 25 in the shaft 24 and will suck the fluid in the passage downto its lower end where it will be violently thrown out by thecentrifugal action. This action will thus gradu ally draw from thevessel being evacuated through the pipe 3"! a steady flow of the fluidwhich it is desired to extract from its interior. The bottom plate 6'!is provided with a series of holes 61 therein disposed 01f center andadapted to improve the flow of the fluid from the bottom of thereceptacle up through the holes 6'! to the space between the plates 66and 61 and then outwardly under the centrifugal action above mentioned.This movement of the fluid will enhance the withdrawal of the gas fromthe pipe 31.

In observing the action of the spring 69 it is well to note, from aconsideration of Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, that the spring turns act as aseries of wing-like elements extending outwardly from the periphery ofthe rotating plate unit and that they assist in providing separate pathsor channels through which the fluid passes in flowing outwardly from thecenter of the rotating system. It will also be observed that the areabetween the turn sections at the inner edge of the spring is less thanbetween the same turns at the outer edge of the spring. Therefore thestream of fluid and entrapped gas which is being pumped out enters anexpanding channel in which the stream of fluid is moving fastest at thevery edge of the plates so as to give there the greatest sucking action.As the fluid and the entrapped gas is thrown off by the rotating unit itenters the body of the fluid in the receptacle [1 and the gas passesupward out of the fluid and passes out of the receptacle I? through theholes in the plate H aligned with similar holes II in the flange 22 toallow the escape of the gas. It will also be observed that to someextent that fact that the spring diameter is larger than the widthbetween the plates 66 and 6'! will, due to the high speed rotation ofthe plates 66 and 61, cause some of the fluid at least to have to passoff the plates 66 and 61 by passing over and under the tops and bottomsof the turns of the spring 69 and therefore these two streams at leastwill present a flaring relation or direction with respect to each other,so as to further enhance the flaring or increasing area of the spacebetween the inner edges of the spring turns and the outer edges of theturns. These various factors are such as to contribute to an efficientpumping action with a construction of impeller which is exceedinglysimple and easily repaired and replaced and removed for adjustment andcleaning.

The high-speed rotating plates 66 and 61 form a sort of rotating suctionchamber which by centrifugal action acts as a suction device to draw outthe fluid or gas in the hollow shaft and to discharge it mostefficiently into the liquid in the vessel I'I through the intermediaryof the toroidal member such as the helical spring 69.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to apresent preferred form thereof, it is not to be limited to such detailsand forms since many changes and modifications may be made in theinvention without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionin its broadest aspects. Hence it is desired to cover any and all formsand modifications of the invention which may come within the language orscope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A pump which includes a hollow rotating shaft, a circular chamberdisposed at one end of the shaft and connected to the interior thereof,said chamber having a peripheral slot therein, and means including aseries of outwardly extending wing-like elements disposed around theperiphery of the chamber to assist in centrifugally discharging fluidsfrom the chamber as it rotates, said elements lying adjacent saidperipheral slot.

2. A pump which includes a hollow rotating shaft, a circular chamberdisposed at one end of the shaft and connected to the interior thereof,said chamber having a peripheral slot therein, and a helical springdisposed peripherally around the chamber and lying adjacent said slot.

3. A pump which includes a hollow rotating shaft, a chamber disposed atone end of the shaft and connected to the interior thereof, said chamberhaving a peripheral slot therein, and a helical spring disposedperipherally around the chamber and lying adjacent said slot.

4. A pump which includes a hollow rotating shaft, a pair of platesspaced apart to form a chamber, said chamber connected to the interiorof the shaft, said plates supported on and rotating with the shaft, anda helical spring disposed around the periphery of the plates and lyingin the space formed between said plates,

5. A pump which includes a hollow rotating shaft, a pair ofcircularplates spaced apart to form a chamber and supported from androtating with said shaft, and a helical spring disposed peripherallyaround the edge of said plates and lying in the space formed between theperipheral edges of said plates.

6. A pump which includes a hollow rotating shaft, a plate fastened toone end of the shaft and at right angles thereto, a second platedisposed parallel to the first plate and spaced slightly therefrom toform a chamber therebetween, means to connect said plates, the chamberbetween the plates being connected to the interior of the shaft, and ahelical spring disposed around the periphery of the plates and lying inthe space formed between the plates.

7. A pump which includes a hollow rotating shaft, one end of which isconnected to a receptacle from which fluid is tobe evacuated, a body ofliquid into which the other end of the shaft projects, a chamber mountedon the last named end of the shaft and having peripheral openingstherein, and an impeller of toroidal shape disposed around the peripheryof the chamber.

8. A pump which includes a rotating chamber element having a. peripheraldischarge opening and a helical spring disposed in toroidal fashionaround and adjacent said opening.

9. A pump which includes a rotating member having an annular dischargeopening, and a series of wing-like elements extending outwardly fromsaid opening, said elements disposed around and adjacent said opening.

10. A pump which includes a rotating member having an annular dischargeopening, and a series of wing-like, ring-shaped elements extendingoutwardly from said opening, said elements disposed around and adjacentsaid opening.

11. In a pump, a pair of rotating parallel spaced plates, a plurality ofsector-shaped elements disposed between said. plates and connectedthereto to hold them in their spaced relation, said elements acting tothrow ofi and out any fluid disposed between the plates, and a helicalspring disposed peripherally around the edges of the plates and lying inthe space between the edges of the plates.

12. In a pump, a pair of rotating spaced plates, a plurality ofsector-shaped elements disposed between said plates and connectedthereto to hold them in their spaced relation, said elements acting tothrow off and out any fluid disposed between the plates, and a helicalspring peripherally disposed around the edges of the plates and lying inthe space between the edges of the plates, a shaft connected at rightangles to the center of one of the plates, said shaft being hollow, thepassage in the shaft being opened to the space between the plates.

AXEL E. LANDERHOLM.

